CHAPTER 12

Dynasty was a night club located in Charlestown, about a fifteen minute drive from the mansion, with traffic. It was run by the Charlestown pack, a small family of wolves who's price of operating unharassed in Boston was that they would provide a neutral space for just such meetings. They took it seriously too, with an impressive security force of their own, tied to none of the other pack syndicates.

I sat in the back of the sleek black BMW that had belonged to Rob. His scent, still lingering had hit me like a jackhammer and I'd sunk inward a little. At least until Anthony joined me. Jacob drove and Martha took the front passenger seat, her colt M4 sitting in the open on her lap. Things were serious and the tension in the car was palpable. Behind us another SUV carrying Mark and Angela, Rob's body guards, and Dennis, who took care of the pack accounts and finances, as well as finagling ways to make everything seem legal.

It hit me just how vulnerable we were without Rob. How tenuous our situation. I tried not to let it affect me. They weren't my pack, after all. Not really. I wasn't even sure where my pack was. The organization liked to pick up stragglers like me, wolves that were desperate, with no place to go, but I figured pack loyalty suffered the same setbacks as their morality did. Seemingly close knit, as long as you were useful, and easily dumped when you became a liability.

The building that housed Dynasty was a sleek two story building that sat among the other prestigious businesses of Charlestown. The exterior was blocky, painted concrete in solid grays. It was early, so there were no patrons waiting at the bright blue double doors, but a few other expensive looking cars were parked and waiting along the street, some of which held large bodies of pack security, waiting in case something went wrong.

"Wait to get out," Anthony told me, before opening his door and sliding out smoothly, his shoulders straight, staring directly into a few of the occupied cars before coming around the other side to open my door and offering a hand to help me out. I frowned. He'd never done anything like that before, I might have broken his wrist for suggesting I was too weak to get out on my own.

He kept my hand on his arm as we walked toward the doors, which had me looking at him oddly. He didn't look at me, just pulled me toward the doors which were opened from within as if we were expected, which, I supposed, we were.

"Anthony," a wolf at the door greeted. He was wearing an expensive looking suit, but it wasn't tailored quite as well as the ones I was used to seeing. What was impressive was the amount of hardware on the table behind him. "My condolences," the man continued, his face a mask of sombre neutrality. One of the Charlestown pack then.

"Thank you, we are heartbroken," Anthony responded.

"Of course," the man nodded. "The assemblage has begun, but I will have to ask you to leave your weapons here, for the safety of the meeting."
Behind me Martha growled, but Anthony waved a hand at her.

"Of course, we will abide by the laws of the assemblage," he told the man.

What he meant was we needed to show we were not afraid to do so.

I watched skeptically as the others warily placed their guns and weapons on the table.

"I'm sorry, but you too, miss," the man directed the words toward me.

I'd been hoping he wouldn't notice. My P365 was small in comparison to most of the other weapons and with the overwhelming scent of metal in the room I thought I might squeak by without notice. My estimation of the door guard went up a notch as I laid my gun on the table along side the others.

"Take the elevator down, second level. The assemblage is the room at the end of the hall."

We followed his directions, Anthony's hand guiding me along on the small of my back. I waited until we were in the elevator to pull away.

"What game are you playing at?" I demanded.

I'd admired him for years, watching him when we were in the same room, hoping for a glimpse, or a smile. And lately I'd been getting them, and I was slowly warming up to the idea that it wasn't some sort of trick, or joke at my expense. But this sudden familiarity was alarming in more ways than one.

"I told you," Anthony answered, frowning at me, "we need to show a united front. They will see us as strong, or they will see us as a target."

"I don't know what any of that has to do with me, these people don't even know who I am."

"They don't know your face," he held my eyes, "but don't kid yourself they know about you. Word spread fast of Rob's niece come to find him, and then, suddenly his business quadruples over the next five years. These aren't stupid people, Raven, they put the pieces together. If Rob hadn't kept you so well hidden you would have been a target for the packs a long time ago."

"Then why bring me at all? Why not bring Leanne? She seemed more than willing, she's beautiful and would make a great distraction."

"Leanne might be beautiful," he agreed, kicking the air from my sails a bit, "but her wolf is weak, and they will sense it. They'll know immediately it isn't you, or they'll assume it is and we're even more vulnerable than we are."

I pressed my lips together, thinking.

"I've never been able to sense the power of another wolf," I admitted at last.

"That's because your wolf's strength overwhelms that ability. She rarely has to worry about a threat, so she doesn't."

*Is that true?* I asked my wolf. I knew she'd grown over the last five years. A lot stronger. But I hadn't realized the others might know too.

I could feel her think about it.* I suppose it could be. I definitely sensed the power of that cat we fought, and I didn't like it one bit.*

I didn't like that others could sense us but we were blind to them. It felt vulnerable, naked almost.

"You can all feel this?" I demanded of the elevator in general. Martha and Jacob nodded, the others murmured affirmatives. Well dammit.

It was Martha who spoke next, surprising me.
"The point is, this is for the good of the organization, Raven. The good of the pack. If we are challenged now people will die. Your cooperation might mean the difference between life and death."